Traffic Stop Leads to Drug Bust
A 30-year-old Bakersfield man was arrested after a search of his vehicle during a routine traffic stop revealed $350,000 of suspected methamphetamine and heroin.
The driver of the vehicle, Francisco Orozco, was booked into the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Central Receiving Facility where he remains on $81,500 bail for suspicion of transporting drugs, possessing drugs, possessing drugs for sale and conspiracy and driving without a license.
Orozco’s passenger, Ernesto Dominguez, 45, was also arrested on suspicion of the same offenses and remains behind bars on $80,000 bail.
The incident began at around midnight on May 12, when a Kern County Sheriff’s deputy traveling north on Highway 99 in the area of Union Avenue saw a vehicle speeding and stopped the driver.
A search of the Orozco’s vehicle was conducted, turning up approximately four and a half pounds of suspected methamphetamine and around one and a half pounds of suspected heroin.
Based on the quantity of drugs found in Orozco’s vehicle, members of the California Multi-Jurisdictional Methamphetamine Enforcement Team (CAL-MMET) were brought in to investigate.
Three hours later a search warrant was obtained and served at Orozco’s residence in the 1100 block of Kentucky Street, where deputies uncovered an additional one and a half pounds of suspected meth.
Kern County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer Ray Pruitt said he does not know what prompted the deputy to search the vehicle nor does he know the details of the search.
“Once the case is filed in a couple of days the reports will become public record,” he said.
Read more:
Bakersfield Californian: Driver Busted with Carload of Drugs
